by Aja Foxx
"First of all, my sons are full grown men and can decide for themselves. Second of all, there was no violence until you brought it in. If you remember, when you arrived, we were all sitting around having a drink. No one was hurting anyone else and no one was shooting anyone else. That's all on you."
"I didn't do this!"
"Oh, yes you did, Grandfather," Henry said. "The only time I've faced any violence since meeting the Soldiers of Fortune was when I was kidnapped by your little minion, Detective Ross, and now. And your detective is here once again. Imagine that." Henry turned to look at the detective. "Are you going to shoot me now? I mean, I did escape after you kidnapped me from my condo. Isn't that reason enough to shoot me? You shot my mother just for being here."
Small beads of sweat started to trickle down Detective Ross's temples. The man was clearly nervous, but why? Realistically, it was our word against his about what occurred here. He was a detective and we were bikers. Who'd believe us over him?
So, why was he so nervous?
"Did you have anything to do with the bomb that was placed in Henry's car?"
Henry gasped as he turned to look at me. "He blew up my car?"
"Hey." Detective Ross took a couple of steps back. "I didn't blow up anyone's car."
"I suppose you didn't have anything to do with me getting shot yesterday either?"
Henry didn't gasp when he turned to look back at the detective. His eyes narrowed. "You shot my fiancé?"
"Your fiancé?" Detective Ross shouted before spinning to glare at Henry's grandfather. "You said get rid of the bikers and make sure your grandson had nothing to do with them. You said nothing about one of them being his fiancé."
"You're an idiot," Markus said right before he pulled out a gun, pointed it at Ross, and pulled the trigger.
Henry cried out and stumbled back. I grabbed him and pulled him into my arms. I turned my body slightly so that I was between Henry and his grandfather. I wasn't about to let him join the ranks of those who had been shot already.
"It's time for you and your friends to leave, Mr. Markus," Butch said before pointing to the body on the floor. "And take that with you."
"Not going to call the police, Mr. Cassidy? Not going to report me for shooting someone?" Markus let out a malicious laugh. "Oh, that's right. You hate the police. You don't call them."
"I don't need to call them," Butch said. "Because you and I are going to come to a little understanding. See, all of this?" Butch circled his finger in the air. "All of this has been recorded, right down to you shooting Detective Ross. If you don't leave and forget you ever met any of us, including your daughter and your grandsons, it will find its way to the people who will make your life a living hell."
Markus snorted. "I own the cops in this city, and everyone else right up to the mayor. They won't do anything to me."
Butch arched one eyebrow. "Who said I was giving it to the cops?"
I smirked when the grin slid off Markus's face.
"You're right, Mr. Markus," Butch continued. "I don't like cops." He pointed down to Detective Ross and then to the others standing there dressed in SWAT uniforms. "They can be too easily bought by self serving men like you."
"You don't know—"
"What I'm talking about?" Butch finished for the old man. "Your little detective, the man you have on your payroll has harassed us, shot at us, put a bomb in your grandson's car, kidnapped him, and now he's shot your daughter. We didn't do this. You did. This was all your handy work."
"I never told him to put a bomb in Henry's car!"
"No, but you told him to kidnap me," Henry snapped. "You admitted it yourself. You sent your detective to kidnap me from my own home."
"I just wanted to talk to you," Markus insisted.
"Then you should have called me on the damn phone!"
"Go on, get out of here," Butch said, "And if you ever contact me, one of my men, my sons, or your daughter again, I will take my evidence to every media outlet in the state."
"You wouldn't!"
"In a heartbeat," Butch replied. "And in case you're thinking of trying anything later, I'll know if you try to mess with any of us or if you hire someone to mess with us. I'll know if you even think of messing with us. I have just as many contacts as you do, Mr. Markus. Mine are just in more interesting places than yours."
Markus's jaw clenched for a moment before he glanced at Henry. "This is your last chance, Henry. If you don't leave with me right this second, I'll write you out of my will and you won't get a penny."
Henry cocked an eyebrow. "Need a pen?"
I pressed my lips together to keep from bursting out laughing.
That was my man.
Markus huffed and started for the door. He pointed to Detective Ross as he passed him. "Pick him up."
The detective groaned as the men in SWAT uniforms picked him up, letting me know he was alive. I didn't know how long he'd remain that way considering how pissed off Markus was, but I didn't care. The man could go straight to hell for what he'd done to Henry. I'd even borrow that pen of Henry's and give him directions.
I breathed a sigh of relief when the door closed behind the last of them. "Bear, Ryder, make sure they leave and I want someone manning the door until we are positive they aren't coming back."
"You want me to follow them?" Ryder asked.
I shook my head. "They'd spot your motorcycle a mile away."
"Take my car." Norman tossed a set of keys in our direction. Ryder caught them mid-air. "I won't be going anywhere anytime soon."
"P-put a scratch on it and you're grounded," a softer, feminine voice whispered.
"Mother?" Henry shouted as he pulled away from me and dropped down beside his mother. "You're alive."
"Of course, I'm alive," Sarah replied. Her voice was weak, but steady. "You said something about Gunner being your fiancé, which means I have a wedding to plan, and if you think I'm going to miss watching my son walk down the aisle, you're crazier than your grandfather."
Guess I wasn't getting out of it now.
I grinned before turning to look at Butch. "Do you think we've seen the last of him?"
"Hard to tell," Butch replied. "A man like Markus isn't used to being thwarted. I imagine right about now, he's trying to figure out how we got one over on him. More than likely, he's going to go home and lick his wounds and try and figure out if, one, I am serious about going to the media, and two, if there is any way for him to get one over on me without me going to the media."
"So, you think he's going to be a problem then?"
"I think we should keep an eye on him, a close eye. If he steps out of line, I'll send him a little reminder. If that doesn't work, I have a few people I can call."
"Do you think it would help to send him a copy of the recording? It might give him an idea of what we have on him."
Butch shook his head. "I'm hoping he'll just drop all of this."
I snorted. "Not likely."
"Like I said, I'll be keeping an eye on him. If he steps out of line, I'll show him why it's a really bad idea to piss off the Soldiers of Fortune MC."
I almost wished he would.
"Gunner," Henry called out. "I need a first aid kit, some fresh towels, some hot water, extra light, and somewhere to work on my mother. The bullet went through her upper arm, but I need to sew her up."
I left Butch standing there and hurried over to Henry's side. "You don't want to call her an ambulance?"
"I'd love to call her an ambulance, but how do I explain a gunshot wound to the police? They are automatically called every time a GSW comes into the emergency room. It's standard procedure."
"All right, let's take her upstairs to one of the guestrooms." I leaned down and carefully lifted Sarah into my arms, wincing when she cried out. "Sorry, Mrs. Nash."
"I think you'd better call me mother after this."
I smiled down at the woman as I carried her up the stairs. "I haven't had a mother in a very long time."
; Sarah patted my cheek. "Well, now you do."
I wasn't sure how I felt about that. I still hadn't fully forgiven Sarah for what she'd done to Henry and Harry, but I was getting there. Her love for her sons was obvious, and now that she accepted me into Henry's life, it was going to be easier.
When I reached one of the unoccupied guestrooms, I laid Sarah down on the bed as carefully as I could. Norman pushed me out of the way as he went to his wife's side. Henry and Harry quickly joined them, with Henry checking her over and Harry holding her hand.
I stepped back to stand against the wall when Bug and Peanut came in with the items Henry had requested. I didn't want to get in the way, but I wasn't ready to let Henry out of my sight. Not just yet. I was still a little rattled with how close he'd come to getting shot.
It took about an hour for Henry to do whatever it was he needed to do. By the time he was done, my feet ached from standing in one place. I couldn't even imagine how he felt.
When he stood and stumbled back, I jumped forward and caught him. "Careful, mate."
"Thank you."
"Is she going to be okay?" I nodded toward his mother, who was sleeping.
"As long as her arm doesn't get infected, she'll be fine. She needs some rest now, so we need to clear out and let her sleep. Norman will let me know if there are any problems in the middle of the night."
I tightened my arms around Henry and pulled him flush to my body. "Does he know what room you'll be in?"
Henry chuckled. "I'll be in your room."
"Damn straight, you will."
He was never leaving my side again.
Epilogue
~ Henry ~
"Oh, Henry," I whispered to myself. I slowly turned in a circle taking in everything that had been accomplished in the last six months. "This is definitely one of your brighter ideas."
With the help of my parents, the Soldiers of Fortune, and several very generous donations, my clinic had been fully realized. The doors were due to open in a week, but we were fully outfitted to serve the people who needed help right now.
We were waiting a week to open so Gunner and I could go on a honeymoon after we got married tomorrow afternoon. I had no idea where we were headed. Gunner said it was a surprise. I just knew I was supposed to pack light since we were taking his bike.
I couldn't wait.
"I just talked to the florist," my mother said as she strode into the room. "The flowers will be delivered first thing in the morning."
"Thanks, Mom." I was still getting used to calling her Mom instead of Mother. I'd called her Mother my entire life, but she said she was no longer that person, so she was no longer Mother. She was now Mom.
"Have you seen your brother?"
"Oh, I believe he and Jefferson are in the garage checking out Father's bike."
Mom rolled her eyes. "I still can't believe Norman talked me into letting him buy that ridiculous bike."
I chuckled and bumped shoulders with my mother. "You love riding that bike." I'd been shocked as shit the first time my mother and father had shown up for a club ride on their own motorcycle.
"I admit nothing."
I laughed before pressing a kiss to my mother's cheek. "I need to go track Gunner down."
"Last time I saw him, he was headed into the office with Butch."
"Thanks." I cast one last look around my clinic and then walked to the back and went through the door that went between the clinic and the bar. It would be locked during opening hours, but I always wanted to be able to come and go from the place I thought of as my second home. My first home was a beautiful three bedroom condo above the clinic that I shared with Gunner.
I waved to Ink as I walked past the bar to Butch's office. I knocked when I got there and waited for him to say I could come in. He might be my biological father, and I considered him one of my two dads, but he was still the president of a motorcycle club.
The door opened and the person I most wanted to see in the world stood there. "Hello, handsome. Come here often?"
Gunner cocked an eyebrow.
I grinned as I trailed a finger down his chest. "Maybe I could buy you a drink or something." I leaned closer until my mouth was right next to his ear. "I'm hoping for or something."
Gunner grunted before pulling me into the room. "I need five minutes."
I sighed heavily.
"Bug was just giving us his report."
I frowned just as quickly as I had grinned. "What report?"
"He asked a few of his street friends to keep an eye on your grandfather. They check in with him once a week. He just had his check in with them and was letting Butch and I know what they said."
We hadn't heard from my grandfather since he walked out the door. We hadn't heard from anyone. Things had been incredibly quiet. I had hoped that was a good thing, but maybe I'd been wrong.
"Is my grandfather up to something?"
"No." Bug shook his head. "He leave. He come back. He leave again. Street say all quiet."
I squinted. "Is that good?"
"How's your tummy, Bug?" Butch asked.
Bug rubbed his tummy. "Hungry. Need food."
Butch chuckled. "Okay, go on. I'm sure Rooster has something you can eat, but tell him you don't need to do dishes today. You've done enough."
"Yes, boss man."
I watched Bug walk out of the room before turning my attention to Butch. I was as confused as hell. "Is anything going on with my grandfather?"
"It doesn't look like it, but it always pays to be cautious. I'll continue to keep an eye on him until I'm positive he's not going to mess with us. But you don't need to worry about that. You let me worry about it. You've got enough on your plate with the clinic and the wedding."
He pointed toward the door. "You need to go, too. The boys will have the bar cleaned up and decorated in time for the reception tomorrow. Your mother is supervising so I imagine everyone is going to need a drink before the day ends. I expect you both back here by six o'clock for the rehearsal dinner. And don't do anything to strenuous. We have a long ride up to the mountains in the morning for the ceremony. You'll be sitting for a couple of hours."
Gunner grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the office before I could ask exactly what Butch meant. I had a pretty good idea, though.
"Do they have pillows for motorcycle seats?"
Gunner just laughed.
I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing, but I was willing to find out.
"Come on, handsome," I said as I pulled Gunner toward our condo. "Let's go redefine strenuous."
~ The End ~
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The vicious bite of an enemy, a shout, a cry in the dark. A lover's touch, the whisper of a kiss. A sigh, a groan, heart beating faster, desire surging through a body. Love words spoken in the shadows. The yearning for a soft caress. I'm a writer of fiery passion in all its glorious forms. Paranormal, Contemporary, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, MM Romance books.
There is no limit to my imagination.
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